effective reading strategies~~

Reading and writing are very closely related. If you don't understand the material which you are writing about, chances are you won't write about it very well. The following are a few tips on how to get the most out of your reading:

• Don't wait until the last minute; give yourself plenty of time to read your material!
• Establish an atmosphere conducive to maximum concentration. This will vary depending on personal preferences.
• Look over materials before delving into them, noting headings, bold-faced words, charts, and summaries. Skim introductions and conclusions. By previewing materials, you can develop a sense of the overall point(s) it is presenting. This will help put the details into a larger context in which they will make sense.
• Use the questions at the beginnings or ends of chapters as study guides to help focus your reading.
• Read everything, including those introductions and conclusions you skimmed.
• Look up words you don't know.
• Try one or more of the following methods of note taking (using a combination of approaches will help you begin reviewing):
  • Glossing: after reading a passage or section, summarize the main ideas in your own words. This can be done in a notebook, or in the margins of your book (if you own it).
  • Outlining: using the author's order or your own, write down the key ideas. Use phrases and abbreviations to keep it short. Use whatever system of numbering or lettering you prefer.
  • Synthesizing chart: chart key information when you are trying to pull together information from more than one source. OR, read from a few sources and formulate questions from the main ideas which can be applied to the remaining information.
• Instead of highlighting or underlining in your text, take notes in the margins or in a separate notebook. This will give you the important information at a glance. (If you take notes in a separate notebook, remember to write the page number on which the information may be found again for later reference.) Improving your reading skills may very well have a positive effect on your writing.